THE APIARY. 127 



HOW TO PROCURE BEES TO STOCK AN APIARY. 



First, hy Purchasing Bees. 



Old stocks in box hives may be purchased and transferred 

 into movable-comb hives. "We prefer those not over three or 

 four years old, that have cast swarms (and with them their old 

 queens) the year before, unless the black queens are soon to be 

 destroyed, and the stocks Italianized. 



Smoke and examine them. If in the spring, they will, of 

 course, be less populous than in the fall yet bees should be clus- 

 tered between most of the combs. The combs should be free 

 from mold, and are easier transferred if in broad sheets. The 

 less drone comb the better, and the more honey there is, the 

 more you will have left for the table after transferring. "We 

 have transferred stocks from large box hives, giving them an 

 abundance of honey, beside leaving out enough to amount in 

 value to the purchase price of the stock. But if stocks that are 

 not to be transferred, have, in the spring, from twelve to twenty 

 pounds of honey, they will usually swarm earlier and be more 

 prosperous than heavier ones, as large quantities of honey, at 

 this season, only take up room that should be occupied with 

 young brood. Probably the best stocks to purchase, are second 

 swarms of the year before, provided the hives are full or nearly 

 full of comb. Such stocks have young queens, and the comb 

 cells are the small size proper for rearing workers, as drone comb 

 is seldom built during the first year of the queen's existence. 

 But if your hives are left to be filled with new swarms, take 

 $rst swarms by all means, being careful to get, if possible, those 



